When It Comes To Buying Decisions, Why Feelings Come First

April 17, 2015 9:03 AM

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How are you feeling seems like the kind of question you might get from a psychiatrist, not an economist. Then again, Stacey Vanek Smith, from NPR's Planet Money team, reminds us about one vitally important economic indicator.

STACEY VANEK SMITH, BYLINE: The Consumer Sentiment Index does pretty much exactly what it sounds like it does. It measures emotions. Companies use it to help them decide how hopeful people are, how much they're going to buy, how many cars they should stock, how many Winnie the Pooh stuffed animals t...